The historical roots of neoliberalism: origin and meaning

Abstract

ABSTRACT Neoliberalism has succeeded in reaching unprecedented levels of power and domination. Despite this, the literature shows that many aspects of the history of neoliberalism remain unclear. In this regard, this article discusses two notable aspects. The first is that neoliberalism lacks a clear definition and is often confused with many other concepts. The second aspect relates to the origins of neoliberalism, which are often reduced to a particular version that does not necessarily reflect the deep roots of neoliberal thought. This article argues that subjecting the history of neoliberal thought to scrutiny contributes to removing many of the ambiguities associated with these two aspects. On the one hand, it allows identifying the different interpretations of neoliberalism, and on the other hand, it shows the fact that neoliberalism emerged in the midst of the crisis of classical liberalism and as a reaction to the expansion of collectivism.